User devices associated with a Fifth Generation (5G) New Radio (NR) system may have the capability to communicate via a 5G network, as well as communicate via other networks, such as a Long Term Evolution (LTE) based network. For example, an Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access New Radio Dual Connectivity (EN-DC) device has the capability to exchange data with an LTE base station (e.g., an eNode B), as well as exchange data with a 5G next generation base station (e.g., a gNode B).
However, when connecting to a base station, an EN-DC device may connect to a particular base station that does not support 5G communications and/or is unable to initiate a handover from a non-5G system to a 5G system. For example, a service area associated with a particular service provider is typically covered by multiple cells operating with different frequency bands. A user device may select an LTE cell/band based on the signal strength of transmitters within the service area. As a result, the user device that is capable of communicating via a 5G network (e.g., an EN-DC device) may select a cell that is not configured to support 5G communications and/or is unable to initiate a handover to a 5G base station. Such a selection may result in the user device being unable to communicate via 5G.